Progress at the Lake’s Propane Home

The crews have been busy at the site of Dave Leather’s 2019 SHL Inspiration Home in the Villages at Shawnee Bend. Progress of this luxury home is moving ahead at full steam, and according to Leathers, is on track to be complete by June 1, 2019.

The 2019 Inspiration Home will be powered by propane, an efficient energy source with numerous applications in homes. “When it’s cold in Missouri, homeowners depend on comfortable, reliable heat,” said Steve Ahrens, President of the Missouri Propane Education and Research Council, who is partnering with Leathers on the project. “Heat pumps can’t really produce the warmth necessary for our climate, introducing air at the register that is only about skin temperature to begin with. That’s where propane really shines, providing ample and efficient heating to keep a home cozy, reliable hot water for the laundry and bath, and fueling so many other appliances throughout the home.”

“While the furnace and water heater work in the background, propane has a more prominent role in other areas of the home,” Ahrens continued. “In the kitchen, top chefs demand the precise control offered by gas stoves and ranges. In the laundry, propane dryers perform better, and cheaper, than electric models, and throughout a home, gas fireplaces provide both spot heat and carefree ambiance without hauling, stacking and handling wood.”

Another notable feature of this high-end home will be its high-quality windows, purchased and installed from Quaker. Quaker, based in Freeburg, MO, has recently announced its expansion and is building a large manufacturing facility in nearby Eldon, MO. “We take great pride in supporting our local businesses in the area for all of our projects,” Leathers commented.

The exterior of the home will include a stamp concrete finish on the top and bottom level deck surfaces, front steps, landing area and sidewalk, requiring little to no maintenance and providing excellent weatherability. “It’s exciting to see the design that we started with and hoped for coming to fruition,” continued Leathers.

“Outside, the versatility of propane is about everywhere you look,” Ahrens noted. “The fire pit and outdoor kitchen will extend the season while propane lighting offers a nice touch when entertaining. The backup generator is also designed to keep the home humming when the power goes off, providing a layer of security unmatched by any other fuel.”

“Builder Doug Ross, of Ross Custom Homes, is a renowned builder of high-end luxury homes,” said Jonathan Hartenstein of Keller Williams Lake of the Ozarks Realty and the Villages at Shawnee Bend. Hartenstein represents the property to prospective buyers. “Ross is building this home and it will check every box on the feature sheet – two, two-car garages, one for utility and one for fun, a family room, wet bar, wine cellar, and the list goes on and on.”

The 2019 Inspiration Home is located in the Villages, just a few minutes from the four-lane highway, with a beautiful drive down Highway MM. According to Hartenstein, “The Villages are the absolute premiere luxury home development in LOZ.”

“There is really nowhere better for a home at the lake,” Hartenstein continued. “This site has a big, beautiful view of the main channel at the 20.5-mile mark and is in a perfect spot to enjoy a virtuous southern breeze. The Villages are also in close proximity to some of the Lake’s finest dining, with three of the best restaurants within a five-minute drive,” said Hartenstein.

The Villages are close to the world-class hospital in Osage Beach, and are in the Camdenton school district, one of the best districts in the nation. “The Club at Porto Cima is also right across the highway from the Villages,” Hartenstein went on to say. “It is an elite golf course that was voted the number one golf course in the state of Missouri by Golf Digest in 2012.”

Showcase Publishing, Leather’s parent company for his magazines, will be donating profits from the sale of the home to Share the Harvest Food Pantry, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting hunger at the Lake of the Ozarks and surrounding areas.

“We feel strongly that no one should go hungry in America and specifically in our tri-county area,” said Leathers. “Share the Harvest has a large volunteer base and makes a great impact on our LOZ community.”

“We’re so pleased to be able to partner with Showcase on the construction of this beautiful new home,” said Ahrens. “Not only are we proud to support the Share the Harvest effort at the Lake, but we’ve also used this opportunity to encourage all Missouri propane marketers to become engaged in their own community charitable causes. From supporting breast cancer awareness to raising funds for local veterans, propane dealers all across the state are embodying the spirit behind the Welcome Home theme.”

MOPERC is a not-for-profit organization that focuses on industry training, consumer safety and market development programs. They are dedicated to the betterment of the propane industry and to the customers it serves in Missouri.

The lake view from the home’s backyard at the 20.5-mile mark.

Leathers said the weather has been cooperative. Here the subfloor is being installed on a beautiful fall day.

The framing crew hard at work as the lower level of the Inspiration Home begins to take form.